Join us as we explore the fundamental principles and early stages of teaching violin and viola through a series of engaging video lectures and lesson demonstrations, including: 1) Master classes with some of the world’s top string pedagogues, 2) Individual lesson demos of teaching violin/viola set up, left and right hand technique and pieces from the early violin/viola repertoire, 3) Group lesson demos of teaching music theory, ear training and fun activities that encourage good playing habits, and 4) A “field trip” to the violin shop, where we will outfit a new beginning student with a proper instrument and bow. You’ll also engage in a series of discussions and reflections with colleagues and peers across the globe. Upon completion of this course, we hope you’ll return to your studio with confidence, a new curriculum, and a renewed approach to sharing with your students the joyful experience of making beautiful music.

Taught By

Stacia Spencer

Senior Lecturer

Transcript

[MUSIC] >> Okay, bravo! Very, very nice! Now, you've got a line going up. [MUSIC] So give me a little line, otherwise it's a little too in a straight line without any curves. When the line goes up, you grow up. When it goes down, you come down. Just with the curvature of the phrase. So do the beginning again, and we'll play around with it. [MUSIC] There's always the business, how do we start a piece? She's sitting over there, and she's reading a copy of Eros Magazine or something like that, and you're over there. You're going to have to start by yourself. Give me a good bottom [SOUND] and just the let us know, in C major, that's a C in the bottom of there. [MUSIC] So immediately the harmony changes in the second half of the measure. Try it. [MUSIC] The other thing is, you're starting out like this. There's no such thing as a down bow before you have an up bow. I mean if I told you right now breathe out, what do you do? You first suck in some air, so you've got some place to breathe. So same thing, you don't just [SOUND] and [SOUND], so give me a little bit of body motion so that you can sink it into that bottom string. [MUSIC] And also, I hear a little bit of garbage between the first note and the second note. I hear [SOUND]. Stop the bow, get your hand up there, get the bow over there and then set the next puzzle. Immediately, [SOUND]. [MUSIC] And the other thing is don't give me so much bow on the bottom of the first chord because you've only got that much bow to work. And what is the important note? If I told you sing the melody, would you sing [SOUND]? Or [SOUND], you're going for that E on the top. So [SOUND], save your bow and that's where you hit it and have a lot of bow to go. [MUSIC] And then if we're going to be lower, [MUSIC] Don't give me those slides, I mean if you knew anything about Himmelmen he was one of these. Everything just like this, so he didn't believe in all those slides so you're all by yourself, you don't want to slop all over the place. [MUSIC] Come down from the G to the E, C. [MUSIC] The other thing is you vibrate fast and then you stop, and you vibrate fast and you stop. [MUSIC] Keep the vibrato going so that the line is going up [SOUND] [MUSIC] So keep the vibrato moving the whole time. [MUSIC] Crescendo. [MUSIC] Repeat it. [MUSIC] You need to do that second one a little softer or a little bit louder. But don't go [SOUND], otherwise you get the feeling, I didn't do that so well, I'll try it again, maybe it'll be better. No, he wrote it twice, so I would say, [SOUND] [MUSIC] Then come back up here. [MUSIC] And just work your way down, so. [MUSIC] And if I'm having trouble standing this close to you hearing those notes [SOUND] one and two [SOUND]. So [SOUND] you're hands vibrating and then [SOUND]. Just put those notes in and you'll see that all the notes will have a vibrating quality. [MUSIC] Yeah, but you have to tickle all the strings. You can't go [SOUND] because if you do that you choke the sound. [MUSIC] The string is still ringing, it's ringing a lot. [MUSIC] You're doing everything all pretty much at the same dynamic level. You do something and then you do it again, and then you do something and then you do it again, and. Even one of those, don't make the second time you do it, the exact repetition of the first, always change a little bit. [MUSIC] Yeah, and really hold out that G. Sort of pretty close to what it is. You let it go a full beat beat and a half before you had to let it go. Do it from [SOUND] at F, two three [SOUND] F. And one, [MUSIC] Whole, [MUSIC] Yeah, I would change the mood a little bit. Any time a good composer does something, he never stays in the same mood for more than a couple of seconds, probably. [MUSIC] Shh. [MUSIC] More. [MUSIC] Keep going. [MUSIC] They have to be careful not to. You just got one long line there. [SOUND] Just keep the bow flowing, that's a common thing that all of us do wrong. We have vibrato note, and the next step we vibrate again, and the next step we vibrate again and the bow does exactly what the left hand does. The bow is the left hand, is [SOUND]. And the bow is just drawing beautifully across the string. So don't let the right hand be that [INAUDIBLE] by the left hand. So [SOUND]! Just that K. Right here. Wait. Imagine it's four Ks. It's huge waves. [MUSIC] Yeah, now don't just fall right into that big climax. [SOUND] I thought this was the men's room. No, you know exactly where you're going. You're getting ready and you open the door so here I am. [SOUND] So don't fall into that. Yeah, and I want you to change your mood completely. [MUSIC] Whatever. [MUSIC] You get. [MUSIC] No. [MUSIC] Light, lighter texture. So, [MUSIC] A, B, B. [MUSIC] How about we do that closer to here. [SOUND] A little clunky. [MUSIC] Like you're going down a roller coaster and you can't stop. You have places if you want to go and go and then sit. And you didn't give this a chance to settle right over to that C. So [SOUND], now [SOUND]. And now you said it twice and here's the final. [SOUND] [MUSIC] >> Okay, let's work on that shift. What do you want to do there with the shift? You want to make a such a heavy slide, you want to make no slide. How do you want to do it? How did we discuss it actually? [MUSIC] That was not enough. [MUSIC] That's too much. So where are you going to start the shift from? This is a new shift. This is going now with a new finger, you're not used to doing that. Think of it as if you were an airplane landing, remember? And then. [MUSIC] That would be enough. Let's try that. [MUSIC] Perfect. Yeah, little bit less or a little more. That's fine. That sounded good to me. [MUSIC] Okay, this is a good place to practice. One of the things I'd like you to do is try playing it softly and lightly, listen to the bottom note. Let's work on the intonation a bit, and then, what does this say here underneath? >> [INAUDIBLE] >> All the notes, and how many notes did you vibrate? Maybe none. Okay, but let's just do it lightly once and when you do it lightly, you can [MUSIC] Let's concentrate on the bottom note and vibrate only the bottom note. Don't worry about the top note. [MUSIC] No, you play both notes but kind of lean on this and you see what I'm doing how I'm vibrating each, the first finger. Yeah, and don't press the first finger down because otherwise if I'm like this, it gets tense so I can't vibrate it. So the bow close to the bridge because you're high up but don't press this so much. [SOUND] All fingers down for octaves. [SOUND] Bar drag. [SOUND] Good. Now, that you work on, you keep working on that. I'd like you to do it without vibrato but very smooth with the thumb. Don't grab this because you're going to have to come all the way down from sixth position to what position? >> Third position. >> Show me where third position is exactly. Perfect I think it's good, yeah, okay. So let's just do without the bow, just do this, let's just make the shift. Six to third, and light on the thumb, and look at my thumb, what am I doing? Almost can take it off, you can practice without the thumb down, because this squeezes, so. Now try it with the bow. [MUSIC] Okay, so these two notes, is your thumb moving? No. [MUSIC] Let's just keep all the fingers down, but only play the bottom now. [MUSIC] Don't move and then here. [MUSIC] That's the idea, right. So the smooth [INAUDIBLE]. [MUSIC] I don't want it to feel like you're squeezing. Now, in the meantime, you'll practice that at home. What should you think about when you lead the tip of the bow? You're coming from the tip, what should your right hand do? >> Bend my thumb. >> You should start bending your thumb right away, and then you don't have to worry about it anymore. It'll be [INAUDIBLE] [MUSIC] And there you are. [MUSIC] I have an advantage for you, I can't see your pinky finger. But I can see your thumb, and I didn't see it curved. [MUSIC] Okay, now do the same thing, and this time, play soft with the left hand and strong with the right hand. [MUSIC] Okay, let's get this [INAUDIBLE] thumb around more, yeah. [MUSIC] A little higher on. [MUSIC] And it's your pinky, [INAUDIBLE] you get a stronger sound. Curve your pinky, curve your thumb. [MUSIC] I'm sorry, I don't remember, is that, yeah, all hooked? Yeah, so this sound will be [INAUDIBLE]. [MUSIC] I think what I'd like to talk about is, what you can do with your, your left hand sings very much. I want to see what you can do with the bow to make it more singing. I'm going to give her the entre. [MUSIC] You know what would be more dramatic, is [SOUND] [MUSIC] When you're standing here, you give it away, and also you get yourself tense. Let her finish, take a breath, and come up. Your violin's there, your first finger's down, your bow is ready, but this is not making you feel so good. [MUSIC] Don't even think about it. Actually play with me, I'll lead you. [MUSIC] Breathe, isn't that enough? That's good, I like that better. Okay, is that too much time, Roland? What do you think? It's okay, all right, he's the conductor. [MUSIC] Okay, so, you're giving everybody your beautiful sound. Why don't you try starting once, less vibrato on the first note or a narrower vibrato? And I think of this as maybe the sun coming out, something, if I was a singer. By the way, I always tell my students sing, sing at home, but don't sing like this. [MUSIC] Sing with your hands and conduct, so you would start. [MUSIC] I would love to see you let loose, hate what you're doing, but go for it. Just really make it really dramatic. Pretend you're Marriage of Figaro. [MUSIC] Allegro aperto, what is he saying? Outward, joyous, open, I don't feel that it's that open. And don't be afraid of playing out of tune and missing notes because that's when you'll go home and practice, you'll fix it. I will too, promise. [MUSIC] Yeah, by the way, I think it's fantastic. I like it, maybe somebody else will say it's too exciting or too fun. I thought it was beautiful, and you did it really well. [MUSIC] [MUSIC] Put the weight, get the weight on pinky finger, and don't come up quite so high like this so watch it, yeah. And you can come up with the bow like this, and I would not, sweetheart, put you hand down. And I just want to look at it, I'm just trying to see that the students that are teaching, whatever your bow, your fingers are like down just pick them up. I think you push over too much and it keeps sliding up, so just put your fingers over, Yeah, and for your hand, they are three different bow grips they talk about, one up here. For your hand, I think you're better off leaning a little bit towards German school, the second joint. Big, heavy person or somebody with a different type hand, maybe a little lower. And all the fingers facing a little bit more like that, now try the opening one more time. No, no, that was tight, now what'd I do? All right and don't force the sound in the beginning, maybe turn the bow a little bit. Keep the violin where it was. [SOUND] Yeah, nice, nice, it should be able to breathe, the bow, don't press it. [MUSIC] Yeah, and I was telling you, you might think I'm changing I'm mind, that perhaps you should hold it a little bit lower and curve your hand, but you're not coming down enough. I think you need to practice working with the pinky finger still to get it stronger. And one of the exercises we did was just holding it here, do you do that sometimes? It's horrible, isn't it? Put the violin down, let's try it, so we hold the bow at the other end for about an hour and a half. Always at the very end, I'll scratch that hour and a half out, until we count to five or so. And try to curve your thumb, as if you were holding it at the at the frock. Hold it here and then get your perfect bow hold and then you stop, if it hurts. As soon as it starts to hurt, you only need a few seconds. Now, pick up the bow and right away it feels like, okay, you're strong. Okay, now, so do that periodically, every once in a while just stop, hold the bow like that, and get a feeling of the thumb and the fingers, all the joints curving. Ta da de. [MUSIC] And as soon as you leave the tip remember what I said? To, I think it was Christian, start moving your fingers. [MUSIC] And here there's no ascent, singing you da da. [MUSIC] Might be better if you just vibrated the eighth notes because you know the dotted quarter you'll vibrate anyhow so you don't have to think about it. [MUSIC]

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